Palace probes Charles link to fraud-case businessman

March 3 2003

St James's Palace has promised to investigate newspaper claims that a Turkish businessman facing serious fraud charges dined with the Prince of Wales after donating £400,000 ($A1 million) to one of his charities.

Cem Uzan, who is accused of swindling mobile phone giants Motorola and Nokia out of nearly $US2 billion ($A3.3 billion), was said to have met the Prince on three occasions after pledging his gift to the Prince's Foundation.

According to reports in The Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Times, Uzan, 42, was sentenced in his absence to 15 months' imprisonment last December by a High Court judge in London on a related matter.

A spokeswoman for St James's Palace said last night that "any evidence of wrongdoing" would be investigated by Charles's private secretary, Sir Michael Peat.

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The inquiry is also examining allegations of homosexual rape at the palace and claims that royal gifts have been sold.

The palace spokeswoman said: "If The Sunday Times or The Mail on Sunday have any evidence of wrongdoing, they should send it through to the Prince of Wales's office and the private secretary will look into it.

"Even though it is outside the scope of the inquiry, if there is any evidence of wrongdoing, the private secretary will obviously look into it."

Uzan allegedly made donations to the Prince's Foundation in the hope of meeting members of the business and social elite following advice from a London-based public relations firm.

The businessman, who is now believed to be in Istanbul, is being sued in a New York court along with members of his family.

Uzan's assets in Britain, including a luxury home in London, have been frozen under a High Court injunction.